Gerhard Pepler kept his grip on proceedings on Tuesday in the second round of the IGT Challenge Tour’s Race to the Sunshine Tour #2 at ERPM Golf Club with a second round of five-under-par 67.

His eagle, five birdies and two bogeys took him to a 36-hole total of 10-under-par ahead of the final round, and that gave him a five-stroke lead over second-placed Matthew Rushton. Ryan Tipping and Marthin Scheepers were in a share of third on four-under-par.

Pepler made eagle on the second to get his round off to the best possible start, and he followed it with birdies on four and five. But he dropped a shot on the sixth, and he turned in three-under 33. Birdies on 10, 13 and 17 took him to six-under for the round, but he dropped a shot at the last.

Rushton also made two bogeys in his second round of two-under-par 70. Tipping was altogether more adventurous, with an eagle, eight birdies and six bogeys in his 68, and Scheepers had an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys in a second-round two-under 70.

For Pepler, a second 67 in a row will give him confidence going into the final round, but he will do well to heed the example set by Caylum Boon last week, who squandered a big lead going into the final round, and lost by one shot to amateur Werner Deyzel who birdied the last to win.